Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A bat in Livingston County has tested positive for rabies.

The bat, found in Brighton, is the first rabies-positive animal identified in Livingston County this year.

The Livingston County Health Department is reminding community members that if they do have contact with a bat to “check it out before you let it out” as bats are more active this time of year.

LCHD Communicable Disease Coordinator Kristen Flory said “If you have contact with a bat or find a bat in your home, it’s important to report it to the Health Department. Our public health staff are available to talk through each situation and determine if there was any risk of rabies exposure.”

If anyone does have contact with a bat, they are advised to not release it until they’ve talked with the Health Department.

Officials say bat bites are so small they are often undetectable, and costly rabies post-exposure treatments can be avoided if bats are captured and sent for rabies testing.

More information is available in the attached release and provided link.